“The [block grant] law took effect on Thursday [April 2nd] and applies to districts for the current fiscal year, which runs through June 30, and the next two fiscal years.
“The law reduces the amount of ‘equalization’ aid school districts receive for capital outlay and local option budgets. That’s money that school districts already had included in the current year’s budgets. In some cases, they already had received more state equalization funds than the state now says they’re entitled to, so they’re trying to figure out how to repay that money…This isn’t a problem, say state legislators. Their plan is to attach a proviso to the state’s general budget bill to provide the $3.7 million and eliminate the need for any districts to repay the state. Sen. Ty Masterson, R-Andover, even criticized one school district for delaying a maintenance project because of uncertainty about the budget cuts, saying there was no reason for such a delay ‘unless they wanted to do it politically.’
“Districts that are delaying projects and shortening their school years aren’t being political; they are being prudent. Legislators may say they will add money to the state budget to offset what school districts would have to repay, but who knows whether that actually will happen? When legislators started their spring break last week, the only budget on the table exceeded projected revenues by at least $224 million. Depending on new revenue estimates that are due on April 20, the shortfall may be greater. School districts and every other entity that receives state funds know there are no guarantees about funding until legislators figure out how to bridge that spending and revenue gap.”
Read more here: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2015/apr/08/editorial-school-funds/?opinion